[Salt Lake City, April 14, 2016] – CranioFacial MD specializes in cleft lip and cleft palate surgery. Dr. Rodney Schmelzer diagnoses each patient and uses a range of techniques, including advanced equipment, to restore the natural function of the child’s lips and mouth.

[b]Cleft Lip and Palate[/b]

Dr. Rodney Schmelzer explains that clefts on the lip and palate rank high among the most commonly seen facial conditions that affect newborn babies. This occurs somewhere between one in 500 to one in 2000 births, and may be caused by the race of the parents, as well as the genes. He adds that even families with no history of cleft lips and palates may produce a child with the deformity.

Dr. Schmelzer explains that children born with a cleft on their soft palate often develops speech problems. The muscles of the soft palate close off the nose from the mouth. Children lacking this often have problems creating S, B, and P sounds. Children with cleft palates are also more likely to develop fluid behind their eardrums, which may cause serious ear infections.

Dr. Schemlzer utilizes a range of different treatments and equipment to restore the child’s speech and hearing. Depending on his diagnosis, he may perform Z-plasty on the soft palate for cleft palates, and Nasoalveolar molding for children with cleft lips. CranioFacial MD also continues to provide cleft rhinoplasty for patients with bilateral clefts, which cannot be addressed by current NAM techniques.

[b]Positional Head Deformity Treatments[/b]

Dr. Schmelzer also provides positional head deformity treatments for his patients. He explains that the number of children born with these head deformities is increasing. The condition is usually characterized by flatness of the back of the head or forehead, or lack of fullness.

His cranial remodeling treatment utilizes helmets that have a high correction rate at about 90 to 95 correction percentage. He will then supply institute molding therapy after six months to continue the reshaping of the patient’s head.

[b]About CranioFacial MD[/b]

CranioFacial MD is dedicated to providing the highest quality of care with a focus on the child’s safety and comfort. Dr. Rodney Schmelzer is a Board Certified plastic surgeon specializing in craniofacial surgery. He performs a wide range of pediatric plastic and craniofacial surgery for cleft lip, craniosynostosis, and skull and facial tumors, to name a few.

His experience gives him the ability and authority to educate parents and families about their child’s diagnosis, and he makes it a point to answer all questions regarding the surgery procedure. For more information on his treatments, visit his website at http://craniofacialmd.com.